CT findings in two cats with broncholithiasis

Chronic inflammatory airway disease with secondary broncholithiasis was diagnosed in two cats from CT and bronchoalveolar lavage cytological findings. In one cat with progressively worsening lower respiratory tract signs, more than 80 discrete, highly attenuating endobronchial opacities were detected on thoracic CT. The broncholiths were distributed throughout the right middle, and left and right caudal lung lobes, and the caudal part of the left cranial and accessory lobes. In the other cat broncholithiasis was an incidental finding on thoracic radiographs taken during diagnostic investigation of inappetence. On thoracic CT, 25 calcified endobronchial opacities were detected in the left caudal lung lobe in secondary and tertiary bronchi. CT features of chronic inflammatory airway disease were present in both cases, including bronchiectasis, atelectasis, flattening of the diaphragm and bronchial wall thickening.

This is the first report to document CT features of broncholithiasis in cats. Feline broncholithiasis should be considered as a differential diagnosis in any case where calcified endobronchial material is evident on thoracic radiographs or CT.